Amy Elkins

John Ben, 7th Ward | New Orleans, 2009 from the series The Weight of Air

13/32 (Not the Man I Once Was) 2009 from the series Black is the Day, Black is the Night

17/35 (Not the Man I Once Was) 2009 from the series Black is the Day, Black is the Night

Amy

Elkins

Artist's Statement

Wallflower, an ongoing series of male portraits, is an exploration into the nuances of gender identity and the male psyche. Starting in 2005, the project parallels the time my father spent in a federal state prison; spawned by a sudden intrigue regarding masculine identity when stripped of personal context or when facing heightened states of vulnerability.

The Weight of Air was shot in daylight studios constructed throughout different wards in New Orleans, LA in August, 2009. The work touches on my fascination with portraiture and psychology and specifically how heat, humidity and the threat of hurricane season affects those who returned to New Orleans and call it home.

Black is the Day, Black is the Night is a conceptual project surrounding the correspondence between several men serving Life and Death Row sentences throughout the United States and myself.

Bio/Resume

B. 1979 Venice, CA. 2007 received BFA in Photography - School of Visual Arts, NYC. Elkins' work explores notions of vulnerability, identity and transitory states. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at The Kunthalle Wien in Vienna, Austria, The PIP International Photo Festival in Pingyao, China, Gallery Gagopa in Masan, South Korea, Gallery Elsa in Busan, South Korea, PEER Gallery, Tina Kim Gallery, Visual Arts Gallery and Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York, Fette's Gallery in Los Angeles and Transformer Gallery in Washington DC. Her first solo show, Wallflower, was held at Yancey Richardson Gallery in October of 2008. Current shows include Homesick at The Carnegie Art Museum in Southern CA. Elkins currently lives and works in New York and is represented by Yancey Richardson Gallery. http://amyelkins.com